As tourists flock to Greenland to take in its stunning icebergs and natural beauty, authorities are considering ways to control crowds in order to protect the fragile environment, already threatened by global warming.
Blocks of ice are breaking off from the Ilulissat glacier, drifting slowly past Disko Bay. The beautiful views attracted 50,000 tourists in 2021, more than 10 times the town’s population. More than half make only a short pit stop during an Arctic cruise.
With the opening of an international airport, these numbers are expected to increase over the coming two years, a welcome boost to the island’s revenue but also a conundrum, given the fragile, and melting, ecosystem.
A multi-award-winning Irish documentary examining the impact of climate change on Greenland’s indigenous community is set to air on RTÉ One later this month.
A Greenland Story, co-directed and independently produced by Sligo filmmaker Vincent Monahan and Marieke Lexmond, takes audiences on a journey to remote villages in the Arctic Circle. The film has won a raft of international awards, including Best Environmental Film at the Montreal and Vancouver Independent Film Festivals.
A Greenland Story is due to air on RTÉ One on August 29 at 10.35 pm and will be available online via the RTÉ Player.
